A Second in Eternity
by VideoGameAddictsLtd
Summary: Life can pass by without notice, not even bothering to glance at us as it drifts lazily by. There are those times though when we take full notice of what life has cruelly dealt us and are helpless to prevent it. This is one of those times.  Bunnie/Antoine


_Well, here we go, Volvochick speaking so listen up! This is a first for everything. Not only is it the first Sonic story I've written, but the first Antoine/Bunnie and quite possibly the sappiest story I have ever written. Honestly though, considering the other stuff I've written, it's probably not that sappy. Now, I've only just receantly got into the whole Sonic Fandom thing, I'm more interested in the comics than the games actually. I've been reading it only for a couple of weeks now actually so if there's anything that seems wrong or out of place that would be the reason why. Seriously though, I simply adore Antoine and Bunnie and there is simply not enough fanfiction out there. Right now as I am typing this there is only five which sucks, they are one of the most adorable couple's out there. _

_Now then, this whole story takes place in StH Issue 190, just as Patch is about kill Bunnie in front of Antoine. My other counterpart to VideoGameAddictsLtd., my brother davidtheumbreon did nothing to help me write this oneshot so any bad writing you see is totally my fault. Remember, half of this was written during the wee hours of the morning, about 4:00 to be exact._

_I do not own Sonic the Hedgehog or any affiliation to the comic, these are owned collectively by Archie Comics and Sega. I do not even own the plot or time frame when this takes place. BASK IN MY NOTHINGNESS!_

_Now enjoy. Oh, and any constructive criticism will be taken seriously and will be immensely helpful for future Sonic stories I may write. All flames will be used to burn the senders houses down. _

Antoine D'Coolette couldn't believe it. All that he had lived for, _who_ he had lived for, was about to come to an end. He wouldn't take it sitting down either, not anymore. There are those times though, that no matter how hard you try to stand, to run, that you just can't move from your seat. It feels like chains are holding you down, breaking the skin as you desperately struggle to move forward, and breaking you heart as you watch events unfold that you can't possibly stop, no matter how hard you wish too, even willing to give up your own life to keep what you hold most dear to you safe from harm. And as you watch helplessly from your seat on the worn, splintered wooden chair not only do you feel your blood wet the chains keeping you down, but your heart, your mind, your _soul_, breaking down as well.

And although what was keeping Antoine held back wasn't the metaphorical chains of despair or the figurative chair of life, it might as well have been. The large, beefy hands holding him back may have been strengthened with self-modified with cybernetic implants but they were by no means her hands. Her hands were soft, warm, trusting and knew every inch of his face, right down to the place where he had shaved off that silly mustache ages ago back when he had thought he had been in love with the Princess Sally. Even her bionic hand was a blessing to him, he had failed to count the numerous times that that hand had saved him, all of them, from terrors that should only have belonged in a child's nightmare.

The hands holding him captive were slimy, cold, and most definitely not what he would call trusting, nothing could have been farther from the truth. What was worse though, was that these hands were keeping him from reaching her, his wife, his entire reason for living, as she was held back into the arms of his evil doppelganger. A sword held to her throat, an area that his kisses had found many times over the past short weeks that they had been married, threatening to let the life that Antoine loved so dearly to escape with nothing more than a few protests.

The blade itself flickered deadly in the rooms light, reflecting Patch's smile as he enjoyed, no, _reveled_, in the rabbit's husband's look of complete horror and helplessness, laughing at the sight as she desperately reached out for him with her freakish robotic hand, her normal flesh covered arm held behind her back in a death grip. Antoine struggled to reach back out, to escape from the grasp that held him back but couldn't, his own legs kicking uselessly as he tried to move towards her, but lacked his blue hedgehog's ability to seemingly run on air.

All he could notice was the golden ring that lay on her finger, its twin resting comfortably on his, that he had given her only a month before, and the look of absolute fear and terror on her lovely face, the face that he still continued to fall in love with everyday. Not for the fear of her own life though, but for the terror of his. He had admitted what felt like an eternity ago, but was in all actuality only a few seconds, that he couldn't go on without her in his life. The man, if Patch could so be called that, was not only ready to take away the life of the one person he loved most of all, but would do so with no conscience or feelings of guilt afterward. He had already killed his father and destroyed all that he had held dear to him when Patch had completely taken over his life for six months, not only ruining his relationship with Bunnie, but had almost caused King Maximillian and all of his friends to lose their trust and faith in him.

Even after he returned from those six months spent in that hell-hole his anti-self called Moebius, there were those who desperately tried to avoid him, even going as far as not trusting his word anymore, and as punishment for his evil twin's deeds, had almost been cast out of the Acorn's royal guard. He hadn't been sure what to expect, although a nice home-coming celebration would have been nice, he had almost thought that he had lost the only person who had truly loved him for him. Instead, he had been greeted with tears of joy as she had leap into his arms, arms that had missed but not forgotten holding the slim body of the rabbit, and had kissed him soundly, both sending the message of how miserable they had been apart and how overjoyed they were to have the other back. For days they had spent almost every waking moment together, not wanting to let the other out of their sight, afraid that they might disappear from the others life once again.

It was not long after his return and during those days spent together in companionship and love that he realized that he wanted to be with her forever, that he wanted her to be his and him to be hers. Despite this, it still took weeks to build up the courage to propose to her and ask for her hand in marriage. Even now, people were still calling this the bravest thing he had ever done, even braver than what Sonic had tried to accomplish over the last ten years. And to his enormous joy she had accepted. They had been married only a couple weeks later in what Mobian's had been calling the grandest and happiest ceremony that had taken place in the years since Mobotropolis had fallen to the evil Dr. Ivo Robonik all those years ago. For Antione, and most likely his new wife, it had been the proudest day of their life. He had just wished his father had been there to see it all, but instead had been poisoned to death by this scum that lay before him, the scum that was about slit his beloved Bunnie's throat, all for the inane pleasure of watching letting him watch as he took away all that Antoine had left in the world.

Antione hadn't been lying when he told her that if she died, he could not go on.

"Cut the melodrama and get on with it, Patch."

Antione narrowed his eyes, if Patch killed her, than he would kill him and ignore all defensive maneuvers his late-father had taught him when he was but a child. It would be kill, or be killed, and he wouldn't care what his friends or teammates would think of him afterwards. That deranged coyote would have taken away all that he had left in the world and so he without even a second thought would take away his life.

Thankfully though, it would never have to come to that.

"That'll be enough of that!"

Never in Antoine's nineteen years of living did he appreciate that insufferable blue hedgehog more than he did know. He was practically ready to kiss him with relief that his wife would live to see another day. Instead, he flipped gracefully out of the anti-walrus Boomer's grasp and held his wife close, feeling her breath against his neck as she held him back just as tight, both relieved that the other was alive to hold onto.

"Come on sugah, ah think it's time we taught those fakah's what it means to get in between Bunnie and her Sugar-Twan."

Antoine simply took her chin in his hands and gazed her what he hoped was the most intense, loving gaze he could manage.

"I couldn't agree more ma Cherie."

With a quick kiss that promised more later they both went on to continue fighting the doppelganger's that promised the entire Freedom Fighters ruin. Both realizing midway into their duels, Bunnie with Boomer and Antoine against Patch, they would both do anything to ensure that the other survived to spent another minute with each other, safe in the others embrace.

After all, even when the chains hold you down, you never stop fighting to save the ones you love most, you simply continue to struggle and you will eventually break free and defend those are most important to you. Love, as it is said, conquers all.


End file.
